Pilots undoubtedly know what Fly-By-Wire is: An aircraft system whereby a pilot makes control inputs that are interpreted and governed by a computer that sends electronic commands to actuators that manipulate things on a helicopter like the main rotor pitch, camber and tailrotor.

FBW replaces traditional mechanical linkages and provides more precise aircraft control. It also keeps pilots from flying their aircraft “outside the envelope” into potentially unstable and dangerous situations. Old stick-and-rudder guys dismiss FBW as a “rate limiter” on the controls, but it is so much more than that.

While popular on civilian airliners made by Airbus for decades, FBW has been limited to fixed-wing military aircraft and helicopters -- until recently.

For helicopter medevac operations, full FBW holds the promise of a quantum increase in overall safety by not only facilitating safer and more precise aircraft control, but also radically reducing pilot workload, especially when it comes to emergency situations such as takeoff or landing in brownouts and whiteouts, engine failure and entry into autorotation.

The triple-redundant FBW computers think faster than the pilot and make it easier to deal with these emergencies by sensing the impending emergency and making it easier for the pilot to position for a successful recovery.

I got a chance to try it out at Bell Helicopter’s systems integration lab or SIL: an elaborate cockpit simulator mated to computers and aircraft control devices. Bell is developing a new supermedium twin engine helicopter called the 525 that uses FBW mated to futuristic touch-screen avionics and digitally controlled engines.

While the 525 is a supermedium helicopter that will weigh nearly 20,000 pounds and is aimed mostly at the offshore energy market, I believe it is only a matter of time before this technology finds its way into smaller helicopters that service the civilian medevac market.

I spent a little more than 30 minutes in the SIL was completely blown away. You’d have to try really hard to crash a helicopter outfitted with this technology.

The technologies on the 525 also allow much faster helicopter dispatch — less than 5 minutes after you hop in the helicopter you can be airborne — a huge plus for medevac. The advanced avionics allow you to modify instrument approaches enroute — among other things.

When you let go of the controls below 10 knots, the FBW automatically places the helicopter in a hover. That’s a game-changer in low-visibility situations — when most helicopters crash.

Even when you can’t see out the window — such as in the case of a brown out — the FBW allows you to safely find your way to the ground.

Sure, helicopters with FBW will cost a little more. But your life is worth it.